Don't Believe This PayDay Candy Bar Rumor
Anyone who's a fan of candy is probably familiar with PayDay, the delightful, caramel-flavored peanut bars from Hershey's. According to the official website, the PayDay Peanut Caramel Bar has an interesting background and was created in 1932 by its founder, Frank Martoccio. It did not, however, became part of The Hershey Company until 1996.
The bars have stayed around since then and have even evolved: a chocolate-covered version was introduced in 2020 for fans. A reviewer praised the makeover and enjoyed sampling the new bar (via The Impulsive Buy). They wrote, "While not overwhelmingly salty, the savory and sweet balance is much better than your average super sweet wrapped confection." They added that the addition of chocolate makes the traditional bar taste even better. Yum!
By the way, there's a certain rumor that became pretty widespread a few months ago. According to Snopes, several people have been under the impression that PayDay was going to change its name. This, however, isn't the case. Here's why you should disregard the buzz.
These PayDay rumors are false
As reported by Snopes, the PayDay Peanut Caramel Bar isn't going to get its name changed. The rumors that spread like wildfire on the internet in February hinted that the brand's name needed to be tweaked because it was hurtful to those who didn't have jobs. The rumor seems to have originated from a meme that has been doing the rounds since 2020. Phew.
The history associated with PayDay is something else entirely. When the Great Depression hit, PayDay bars were used as a meal replacement option by those who didn't have money for regular meals. The PayDay bar was considered to be full of nutrients and worked as an effective option for those who needed nourishment during difficult times.
"One of the few chocolate-free candy bars, PayDays consist of salted peanuts rolled in caramel, surrounding a nougat-like center," Food & Wine described. "During the Depression, candy bars were often marketed as meal replacements, and the PayDay, with its peanut-dense outer layer, was one of the more filling options out there."
Basically, the rumors are baseless and there has no been indication from The Hershey Company that it's going to change the bar's name in the near future.
PayDay has a quirky history
The PayDay candy bar is more special than you think. As reported by Delish, a man from Virginia got eerily lucky in 2016 when he won a lottery prize after buying a PayDay candy bar. You see, 80-year-old Mike Murphy felt motivated to purchase the ticket from the change that he received for buying candy at a store. His reward for the impulsive decision? A cool $4 million.
Believe it or not, Murphy was scratching his lottery ticket while eating his candy bar when he found out about the sweet surprise. Also, he had never eaten a PayDay bar before that fateful day in his entire life. Who would have guessed that one? He said, "I'd never had a PayDay and it paid off!"
What's more, the store where the lottery ticket was purchased was handsomely rewarded, as well, by Hershey's with a year's supply of the candy bars at no cost. This was a mark of gratitude for putting PayDay bars into the limelight. Pretty amazing, right?
PayDay was slightly neglected amongst its peers
Per The Takeout, PayDay has simply not received as much attention as it should have in the past and has often been outshone by other candy bars on the market. Hershey's did try to make more customers warm up to PayDay by introducing new versions, like a honey-roasted special and a PayDay Pro energy bar. The company even sold PayDay bars with nickels attached to encourage more people to give it a shot. And yet, consumers often assumed that PayDay bars were a thing of the past and were distracted by other, shinier options.
Hershey's did not really give up hope, though. Its marketing team stated that PayDay is the "hardest working candy bar." Things finally looked up for the product when its chocolate version was launched in the market in 2020. As Hershey's stated, "This PayDay may have a flashy new exterior, but it's the same powerful peanut and caramel under the hood. Together they make a classic candy combination, engineered for maximum crunchy, salty, chocolatey sweetness."
The candy does have some hardcore fans, though. A Redditor from Australia wrote about their opinion on the chocolate bar and said that they were really impressed by its flavors. They said, "Tonight a friend gave me a payday bar that she brought back from the US. Never in my life have I tried anything so amazing." Enough said.